Abéché

Abéché is a city in central-eastern Chad, capital of the Ouaddaï Region, about 749 kilometers northeast of the national capital N'Djamena, with a population of 76,492 as of 2012. It became capital of the Wadai Sultanate in the 1890s after the previous capital's wells ran dry, and in 1909 French troops invaded and established a garrison there, reshaping its political structure under colonial rule. Abéché remains an important cattle-raising center and hosts the country's principal camel market for exports, along with trade in textiles, spices and crafts.